Boxoffice (Jan-Mar 1962)

’TtMcftvMxd defiant By WILLIAM HEBERT Producers Guild Honors Bob Hope, Robert Wise The Screen Producer’s Guild annual awards dinner at the Beverly-Hilton hotel pulled up lame, halting and overlong, but produced the most glittering array of industry topflight notables of any of the award functions which dot this season of the year' prior to declaration of the Academy Oscars. Bob Hope was presented with the Producer’s annual Milestone Award, Robert Wise for the best produced theatrical film of 1961, “West Side Story,” and Matthew Rapf for the best produced TV series of 1961, “Ben Casey.” The much advance-vaunted tribute to Hope via servicemen complimenting him by way of the Strategic Air Command’s Defense Communications System, lavishly mounted by the producers with a huge global map on which lightbulbs flashed to indicate location of the speaker, failed to come off and deadened the proceedings. The communications, in all but one instance, failed to come through except tinnily, remote, and in one case not at all, leaving the valiant Bob standing midstage with a red telephone to his ear, an absence of jokes, bewilderment and a large order of, so to speak, egg on his face. It is the first time we have ever known Bob to be at a loss for words. Mentally, we kept writing jokes for him to fill the gap, like, “If this is the Strategic Air Command’s Defense Communications system I wouldn't be surprised if the Japanese surprised us again.” Or, “I just got a remote message from a serviceman in the men’s room. He says Kilroy is there.” The servicemen’s color guard, complete with tall flags and a mammoth band was glorious, the band’s rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” thrilling, and provided a highpoint of the evening. President JFK’s taped special message to Bob, heard over the loudspeakers, was commendably Bostonian and restrained but lacking in any genuine warmth or understanding of Hope’s great and selfless contribution to the morale of the men who man our frontiers. Introduced by Walter Mirisch, president of the guild, amid a clash of knives and forks that sounded like a cavalry charge, Frank Sinatra acquitted himself creditably and briefly in what he described as his first time out as an m. c. His bad-taste opening line, “Anyone interested in a hot engagement ring?,” referring to his recent breakup with Juliet Prowse, was given a limp laugh by the audience. Jack Benny paid tribute to Hope as “One of the two great comedians of all time — I’ll let you guess who the other one is.” He recounted his recent successes as a classic violinist, including his emergency replacement of Isaac Stem as soloist for a symphony concert: “My replacing Isaac Stern is like promising her Arpege and giving her Vigoro.” He complimented the industry on its production of classic biographies, such as that of Mme. Curie, Alexander Graham Bell, Woodrow Wilson and more recently The George Raft Story. Following the fiasco with SACD Communications System, Hope accepted the award graciously and followed with a tooextended monologue, portions of which received such inaudible reaction that he was moved to say, “Wait, there’s more.” He accoladed Adolph Zukor, present on the dais, to applause with: “Mr. Zukor is ‘Mr. Movies.’ To Mr. Zukor television is a pornographic word.” A good try all around, but some editing would have been in order. David Rose, De Laurentiis To Produce 'II Duce' Hot on the heels of AA’s “Hitler,” David E. Rose and Dino De Laurentiis announce “II Duce,” Mussolini biography by Christopher Hibbert scheduled for publication by Little, Brown & Co. next month. To be lensed in Italy, it will have an asyettobe -chosen Italian writer on first draft and a British writer on final. Budget and cast to be determined. Meanwhile, Rose, in partnership with Edward Small, is to start “Live a Little,” in London. Distribution of “Duce,” to be released abroad under title of “B. M.,” is up for grabs between United Artists and Columbia, Rose and Small having produced together four for UA last year, and De Laurentiis having signed earlier this month for four through Columbia after delivering two. Doris Day to Star in MGM's ‘Unsinkable Molly Brown' Doris Day has captured one of the acting plums of the year with purchase by MGM of “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” as a starring vehicle for her. The parlay of the unsinkable Miss B and the unsinkable Miss D apparently took the play away from many high-bidding production companies and was effected after considerable CONGRATULATE WINNER — Actress Ruta Lee and actor Brian Keith (right) are pictured with Philip W. Anderson as he proudly accepted the American Cinema Editors’ award for Best Film Editing Achievement of 1961 at the group’s 12th annual awards dinner. The honor went to Anderson for his editing of Walt Disney’s “The Parent Trap,” for which he also has been nominated for an Oscar. negotiation on the part of Bob Weitman, vice-president in charge of production, and Joe Vogel, president in charge of any major difficulties that may come up at MGM. What should be another heyday for Miss Day will be produced by Larry Weingarten, which is a guarantee that nothing effective will be overlooked. Score by Meredith “Music Man” Willson will be transported to the screen intact from the stage version, which has been knocking Broadway for a loop. The story is a captivating and authentic one. A comely young dishwasher in a Leadville, Colo., gold-mining camp marries a gent named John J. Brown — unrelated, we believe, to JB’s body which lies a-moulderin’ in the grave — and becomes America’s wealthiest and most controversial woman. She is aboard the Titanic when it goes down, but she doesn’t go down with it. She survives to make her mark on society and history. The picture, to be given a top cast, is scheduled as one of MGM’s major releases for 1962-63. Billie Dove Joins Cast Of 'Diamond Head' Billie Dove, one of the great stars of yesteryear, has been added to the all-star cast of Jerry Bresler’s up-coming production of “Diamond Head” for Columbia release. The actress, under her legal name, Mrs. Lillian Kenaston, entered a nationwide jingle-writing contest held in connection with the Bresler film and emerged one of the three first-prize winners, which entitled her to a Columbia Pictures contract to appear in the film. Although she entered the contest in jest, Miss Dove has agreed to play the role of a nurse in the feature, and along with the other top winners, Kay Elizabeth Kelly of Shawnee-Mission, Kas., and Mary Ann Zemaitis of Cheltenham, Pa., will be flown to Hawaii to join the cast. Carolyn Jones has been set to join the all-star cast of MGM-Cinerama’s production, “How the West Was Won.” In the fifth episode, slated to roll later this month, Miss Jones will appear as the wife of George Peppard. David Brian also was announced for a costarring role as the attorney handling the estate of Gregory Peck, Debbie Reynolds portrays Peck’s wife in the final episode which Bernard Smith produces and Henry Hathaway directs. Robert Blees Plans Remake Of 'Macomber Affair' Remake rights to “The Macomber Affair,” United Artists feature, have been acquired by producer-writer Robert Blees, who is planning a new version of the Hemingway yarn. Rights to the property were obtained by Blees from Joseph Blumenfeld, San Francisco exhibitor, who will participate in the remake for which Blees has written a new screenplay. Originally made in 1946, the UA film starred Robert Preston, Gregory Peck and Joan Bennett. Although Blees’ contract with 20th-Fox has two months to go, no plans have been made as to where the film will be produced or released. 16 BOXOFFICE :: March 12, 1962